Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including small airplanes, for example, can be launched and flown almost anywhere, even in places without a take-off or landing strip. At present, retrieval without a landing strip can be clumsy or awkward and potentially damaging to the UAV.
Current retrieval practices include flying into a net, flying into vegetation, capturing with a guide wire and hook arrangement, and belly-landing. Each of the above require a person in the field to retrieve the UAV. And there is the possibility of damage to the UAV when it runs into the net, misses the hook, or lands on its belly on rough terrain.
Another method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,568. in which an aircraft is captured on a pillow using cooperating components of a hook-and-loop fastener.